Hi! I'm Courtney, the owner of Merriment Events™ in Richmond, Virginia. The Merriment Blog is a place where I can share ideas that are inspiring me. I'd love to hear from you! Please get in touch by writing to courtney {at} merrimentevents {dot} com

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Making the cut

No matter how you slice it, making cuts to your guest list can be an arduous (and sometimes impossible) task. As you embark on one of the very first steps of wedding planning, drafting your guest list, bear this in mind: your guest count will drive costs more than most any other decision you make. That’s because food and beverage consumption will represent about half of your total wedding spend.

To get started, identify the maximum number of guests your budget and venue will allow. To kickstart that process, ask your caterer to help you identify a high and a low cost per person for food and beverage, including tax and service charges. Keep your maximum number on the conservative side, slightly lower than your total budget will allow and slightly lower than your venue’s capacity.

Traditionally the couple invites half the guest list, while each set of parents invites a quarter. If your parents are paying for your wedding, you may want to adjust these percentages in their favor.

Begin by making your dream list, a list of every possible person you’d love to invite, then divide this list into buckets that ultimately relate to priority to invite.

-Bucket #1: close family members (siblings, grandparents)
-Bucket #2: close friends and extended family
-Bucket #3: colleagues and other friends

When you merge your parents’ lists and yours together, you may discover you need to cull the list or revisit budget. To cut or not to cut? If you’ve never spoken to the guest, consider cutting that person from your list. As it relates to unmarried couples: unless the couple is engaged or lives together, considering cutting plus ones. If you haven’t spoken to a person on your list in a year or more and are not related, you may consider cutting that guest. Consider eliminating co-workers from your list – have a close look at bucket #3 of guests.

Cutting a guest list can be a challenge, and sometimes it may be impossible, but giving your list a good scrub and knowing the commitment you’re making before you make deposits will empower you as you plan your wedding!